Mercury

New Cars '99 - Your guide to new and redesigned vehicles

October 18, 1998

MERCURY

http://www.Ford.com

Cars

- Cougar: If you haven't seen the new version of the Cougar, you may not believe your eyes when you finally do. The old, boxy styling that died at the end of 1997 is nowhere to be found in the latest version. Now the Cougar is a sleek feline with rounded haunches and narrow slits for headlights. The body style is a 2+2 sports coupe, meaning the rear seats fold forward to increase storage room. The '99 Cougar is based on the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique platform. It has front independent and rear quadralink suspension. Power-assisted brakes and steering are standard. Four-wheel, anti-lock discs are optional. Two engines are available, a 2.0-liter, 125-horsepower four-cylinder with variable valve timing and a 2.5-liter, double overhead cam V-6; horsepower is rated at 170. The four-cylinder comes only with a five-speed manual transmission. The V-6 comes with either the five-speed or a four-speed automatic transmission.

- Grand Marquis: The full-size Mercury sedan got a new body last year and gets new colors this year. No other changes for 1999.

- Tracer: Mercury adds a Sport Wagon to the mix. It features a leather interior, 15-inch wheels and mud flaps. The rest of the line gets one new interior color.

Trucks

- Mountaineer: The upscale version of the Ford Explorer gets new seats for 1999 and an optional rear load-leveling system. Another new optional feature for the sport-utility is the reverse warning system. If an object, such as a trash can or a bicycle, is behind the Mountaineer, the driver will hear a beeping sound when the vehicle is in reverse.

- Villager: The popular minivan has been overhauled for 1999. Villager has a new body that is longer and wider than last year's van. The biggest change, however, is the addition of a second rear-sliding door. Now the Villager is poised to compete with Chrysler's best selling vans. The engine has been revamped and now is a 170-horsepower, 3.3-liter unit. Last year's 3.0-liter V-6 made 151-horsepower. The anti-lock brakes and suspension system also were reworked for the 1999 model year. And Mercury designers changed the interior too: The instrument panel has been redesigned and positioned closer to the driver, which makes the controls easier to reach. The seats also are improved.